Do you belt out Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon in the shower? Do you listen to the The Cure’s Friday I’m In Love while you are driving to town for the weekend? Is Sinead O’ Connor’s Nothing Compares to You your ultimate heartbreak song?
If you answered yes to these questions then you are a bonafide 80’s music freak. Being a fan of 80’s music doesn’t mean that you had to be born in the decade. In fact, more and more 80’s tunes’ fanatics are being born by rummaging through their parents’ old records or being exposed to 80’s music through the Internet.
Unfortunately, the 80’s are long over and if you’re like most fans then you are probably thinking that today’s bands and musical artists simply can’t compare. The only times you can get to sing and listen to your favorite 80’s songs is through karaoke, 80’s nights in bars and 80’s compilation CDs. Well, if you play videogames then there is about to be one more way that you can relive the glorious musical past and that is through the game that ESRB is currently developing.
Prepare for Lips: I (Heart) the 80’s. The game is pretty much still under wraps for the most part but the word out on the street is that two major 80’s hits that will be included in the game are 80’s staples Super Freak by Rick James and Roxanne by none other than The Police. The game is also predicted to show plenty of music videos that depict scantily clad men and women doing sexily choreographed dance moves. Ah, just like the good old days.

If you have always been a die-hard God of War fan then you probably know that the popular game is about to come to the end. However, developers are saying that the franchise of the Kratos epic tale is not over. Some fans are speculating that this reported ending is just being used as a publicity stunt for the upcoming installment but Steve Caterson (senior producer of God of War III) begs to differ.

According to Caterson, cliché as it may sound, his team is “constantly pushing” themselves. Caterson also recalls spending three entire years working on God of War III, not to mention the seven more years he devoted to developing the entire series of God of War. He also says that although his team is looking forward to working on the next big project, the team is also determined to take their time. Caterson also shares with fans that Dead Space has been the only game that he has finished playing over the last several years. Caterson also wistfully states that it would be nice if he can take some time to sit down and play videogames himself, if only just to see what other developers are up to.

Caterson was also asked if the next project of Sony Santa Monica will also be another installment of God of War. Caterson responded by reiterating that God of War III was the last installment in the trilogy and the finale left no cliffhanger or any more questions to be answered. He also expressed his interest on doing something different, but still admitted that the franchise might be reincarnated in the future. Good news for Kratos fans all over the world.

Whether your grandma used to tell you mystery stories or you liked reading Agatha Christie novels as a child, chances are you’ve developed a penchant for well-plotted detective stories set in quaint little English villages. If this sounds like you then you are exactly the type of target audience that Relentless Software had in mind when they developed the new game, Blue Toad Murder Files.
Basically, the plot of the game revolves around a little English town. The game basically begins when the mayor of that town is murdered. You will have four options to choose from as to who is the character you want to play. There is a young boy genius whose character will remind you of Harry Potter, there is also a middle-aged man, a kind old grandma and a blond Nancy Drew-type teenage girl.
There will also be a series of mini mystery games that you are required to finish so you earn points and move on. These games are generally easy. Some will require you to arrange jumbled letters written in a notebook while some will call for your memory power while you recreate a character that you were introduced to during the beginning of the game.
So if you are into whodunit stories then be sure to check out this game.

Those who regularly try to restore their faith in mankind after reading or hearing atrocious stories in the news will certainly have one heck of a time with this story from South Korea.
A couple was arrested this week when their 3-month-old infant died due to starvation. The baby was neglected because the married couple was busy playing online games in an internet café. According to the police, the 41-year-old husband and 25-year-old wife were spending as much as 12 hours a night playing at the online café.
Unsurprisingly, the unemployed couple met in an online chat room last 2008. With no means for a home of their own, the two went to live under the roof of the wife’s parents. It was also reported that even the wife’s pregnancy did not stop the couple from participating in what is known as “PC Bangs”. PC Bangs are small dark internet parlors that are rampant in Korean streets, where an estimated half of the population participates in online games.
After the autopsy of the premature baby, it was discovered that she died of malnourishment. The couple further admitted that they would sometimes spank the baby and feed her with powdered milk that was way past the expiration date. Ironically, the couple was addicted to a game called PRIUS where they were busy raising and feeding their virtual child.

This is not the first time that news of this nature has spread in South Korea. There have also been cases where game-addicted teenagers have sat down and played the game for such a long time that they died of dehydration and exhaustion.

There is no denying that social network sites have fully invaded our culture. Both the young and old are tweeting, posting their Facebook statuses or tweaking their MySpace pages. One of the many aspects of social networks worth discussing is the games—especially on Facebook. This is because Facebook is a site that’s particularly popular for its apps. And among these apps, the games are standing out. In fact, there are many people who join Facebook just so they can play the games.
Naturally, the games on Facebook pale in comparison to the games that you can enjoy in Playstation or your Xbox, whether you look at the graphics, plot or complexity of the game. However, some are saying that this difference is exactly what makes Facebook games just as appealing.
Bill Mooney who is one of masterminds behind the popular FarmVille says that hardcore games and social games like those on Facebook offer players two completely different experiences, but both feature plenty of entertainment. He also admits that the graphics on Facebook games are undoubtedly not as good as those in core games. However, social game developers still continue to improve their work to make the games more engaging. For instance, there are some older Facebook users who were never fans of core PSP and and Xbox but who found themselves hooked on Mafia Wars or FarmVille.
The guys behind PopCap Games, John Vachey and Jon David, share the sentiments of Mooney. In case you don’t know PopCap is responsible for a particularly popular little game known as Plants and Zombies. The duo says that part of the appeal of social games is the amount of time you need to enjoy them. You can play them in installments—ten minutes now, five minutes later, etc. And this can be very fitting for social network users.

If you’ve always been a fan of zombie games and movies then you probably know how the story goes. A bunch of dead guys walk around infecting live ones until the virus spreads and it’s only a handful of characters out to save the world. Well, Infectonator: World Denominator is about to blow some fresh air into the graveyard.

In this new game, you are not the hero that saves the world, nor his sidekick. On the contrary, you are actually on the side of the dead guys. In fact, you’re the one who spreads the virus to the dead guys. To begin your game, you start by spreading an infection among a group of people. You then lie back to watch your masterpiece by enjoying the sight of your zombies infect one innocent human after another. The more humans you kill, the more money you get to upgrade and improve your loyal zombies.

Once you have taken over an entire town, you can then bring your blood-hungry brood along to infect the next town. With a track of bloody and ruined towns behind you, you can then set your sights to infecting the entire country. And once you have turned the entire country into a nation of ghouls, nothing can stop you from conquering the world. Bwahaha!

Have you always enjoyed board games that involve a mystery to be solved? Are you always the first one to figure out “whodunit” when watching or reading detective stories? Do you live for that delicious moment when you blurt out “ah-hah!” once you have solved the case?

If this sounds pretty much like you then you will surely enjoy the latest game that Disney is about to release. The interactive game Guilty Party revolves around the sleuths of the Dickens Detective Agency. Once you have selected a detective character that you will play, you and the other players will take turns in investigating various scenes in search for important clues. These mysterious environments will range from elegant cruise ships to vast mansions. Once you have gathered all the evidence, you will then compose a character profile of the unknown assailant. Your character sketch will include details such as gender, height, hair and weight. You will then have the option between interrogating the suspect and accusing him right off the bat.

Guilty Party also includes some exciting mini-games that will surely bring out the detective in you. There are games that will require you to dust for fingerprints, interview a witness and such. Another great thing about the game is that it can be customized according to the age of the player and the desired level difficulty. For instance, kids can take advantage of mini-games where the witness will directly lead to the suspect. While older and more experienced players can opt for more challenge by choosing games wherein the witness speaks in riddles or flat out lies.

“Whodunit” board games such as Clue have garnered so much popularity among people of all ages and it’s not really hard to see why. People simply love the adrenaline that comes with figuring out the how the pieces of the mystery puzzle fit together and, at last, uncovering who the villain is. The problem with traditional whodunit board games is the amount of time and effort required to set up the board game and to clean it all up afterwards. You’ve probably experienced being the unfortunate soul left alone by your other co-players to clean up and put away the board game set.

What if you can still play at being a mystery sleuth without all the clean-up required? This is precisely the opportunity that Disney seeks to give you with the all-new interactive Guilty Party. The game is developed by the same company who brought you popular mini-games such as Hail to the Chimp and Studds the Zombie. The game requires four players, making it an appropriate game for friends and family who are looking to unwind.

The plot of the game revolves around the detectives who work for the Dickens Detective Agency. This elite group of sleuths is made up of interesting characters for you to choose from—a kung-fu expert granny, a roguish street detective and such. The whole team is led by The Commodore, who is on a constant campaign to stop the crimes of his arch nemesis Mr. Valentine.

The game will be available later this year.

There is no doubt that videogames have a large impact on the development of your children. Not only do videogames contribute in their perception of the reality around them but gaming can also affect other aspects in their lives such as their health, studies and social capabilities.

Even if you play a big role in choosing your kids’ videogames for them, it’s still important to monitor gaming inside your house by creating several house rules. Here are some good ideas to start with.

If you have a young boy they you probably know about their attraction to violent games. Even if you buy their games for them, your kids can easily sneak behind your back and purchase from videostores or download from the web. Be sure that you monitor this access by knowing your local videogame providers and online accounts they use.

Prohibiting your kids from playing games with violence and sexual content is not enough to effectively stop them from playing. In fact, you may even encourage their rebellion. Instead, take the time to sit down and explain why these types of games concepts are unfavorable and offensive.

It’s also important to come up with playing schedules to make sure that your children do not abuse their gaming privileges. For instance, perhaps you can allow them to play only after they have done their homework or when they are finished with their chores.

Finally, do your best to encourage your kids to take an interest in other non-gaming social activities, such as group sports, school plays and such.

If you grew up during a time where your preoccupations as a child were made up of dolls, robots and playing games with other neighborhood kids then it’s easy to get suspicious of modern videogames. After all, the violence and sexual content portrayed in many games today are enough to make parents want to ban all games from their children’s routine.

However, you can’t deny the fact that kids today will want to play videogames. To make sure that they are playing the right type of games, you can play a role in the selection of the videogames they play.

When it comes to choosing a game for your kids, it’s important that you consider their interest. For instance, are they interested in medieval battles or playing sports? Choosing games that cater to your kid’s interest will surely motivate him to play the game.

The ESRB, or Entertainment Software Rating Board, is a body that provides ratings and reviews of almost every videogame that emerges in the market. Check out the your options by limiting them to the titles that are appropriate for your child’s age. However, the rating is not a guarantee that the game will be violence-free since even the mildest games today can contain plenty of blood and gore.

Young boys love to play violent games because these games make them feel a sense of control, power and dominance. Instead, channel this need to more educational and intellectual pursuits. For instance, games that require a lot of strategies and smart thinking can let your child feel good about himself without the violence.

If you are buying the videogame for your young daughter, then make sure you refrain from games that depict female characters in stereotypical and patriarchal ways–such as females who gain favors of men by relying on their appearance.